Research & Writing Tutors
Research and Instruction Librarian for Music & Fine Arts
Karen Olson
she/her/hers
What Is a Database?
A database allows you to search through a vast collection of journal, magazine, and newspaper articles, as well as essays in books and conference papers. You may search by topic, author, or article title.
Some databases are "full-text" (i.e. provide the entire text of the article), some are "idexes" only, also called "bibliographic" (i.e. point you to the source of your article without providing its text), and some are a mix of the two.
Art Databases
- Art Index This link opens in a new windowJournal articles, film reviews, bibliographies, museum bulletins, exhibition listings, competition and award notices, and other materials on the arts, archaeology, and design. Covers materials published 1984-present.
- Art Index Retrospective: 1929-1984 This link opens in a new windowJournal articles, film reviews, bibliographies, museum bulletins, exhibition listings, competition and award notices, and other materials on the arts, archaeology, and design. Covers materials published 1929-1984.
- Index of Medieval Art This link opens in a new windowFounded in 1917, the Index of Medieval Art is one of the most important archives of medieval art in existence. It offers critically important resources for scholars of medieval visual culture.
- Bibliography of the History of Art/International Bibliography of Art This link opens in a new windowScholarly journals articles, books, exhibition reviews and catalogues, and other materials on the history of western art. Covers materials published 1990-2009.
- DAAI: Design and Applied Arts Index This link opens in a new windowMagazine and journal articles, news items, and reviews on design, crafts, and the applied arts from the mid-nineteenth century to current developments. Covers materials published 1973-present.
- ARTbibliographies Modern This link opens in a new windowScholarly journal articles, books, dissertations, and exhibition catalogs and reviews concerning modern and contemporary art (late nineteenth-century to current, in diverse media). Covers materials published 1974-present, with some coverage extending back to the late 1960s.
- Arts & Humanities Citation Index This link opens in a new windowJournal articles, book reviews, and other materials in the arts and humanities. Users can search for articles that cite a particular article or author. Covers materials published 1975-present.
Other Useful Databases
- JSTOR This link opens in a new windowFull-text scholarly journals articles in many disciplines. Dates of coverage vary by title, typically from the journal's first issue (sometimes in the eighteenth century or earlier) through about five years ago.
- Project MUSE This link opens in a new windowFull-text scholarly journal articles in the humanities and social sciences.
- Academic Search Premier This link opens in a new windowArticles on virtually every topic, drawn from scholarly journals, professional journals, trade magazines, news publications, and lifestyle magazines. Provides full-text access to over half of its 8000+ publications. Covers materials published 1975-present.
- Iter: Gateway to the Middle Ages and Renaissance This link opens in a new windowOnline resources in medieval and Renaissance studies, 400-1700. Collections include both primary and secondary sources.
Off-Campus Access
To access library resources (e.g.online indexes, databases, and e-journals) from off-campus please follow instructions below:
- Off Campus AccessWhen you access the resource, you will be prompted for your St. Olaf login and password (same as your St. Olaf e-mail account). Once you enter this information you will be able to access library resources as if you were on-campus.